Lance McCullers Jr.’s second game back on the mound not only left a tough loss for the Houston Astros, and after his complicated outing against the Cincinnati Reds, the two-time World Series winning pitcher revealed that he had received death threats on social media, some of them directed at his children.
On Saturday night, McCullers managed just one out and allowed seven runs in a performance that ended in a 13-9 loss for Houston. It was just his second appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, after a long injury layoff.
“One understands that there is pressure, that the fans feel passion, but when lines are crossed like threatening to kill your children, it stops being part of the game,” McCullers said.
McCullers explained that he has received threats in the past, but the severity of the latest messages led him to alert the authorities. The team confirmed that both the Houston Police Department and MLB security are aware of the situation.
Threats hinder McCullers’ concentration
Over the past two seasons, McCullers has dealt with multiple injuries that have interrupted his career. In the midst of his recovery process, he now faces a new emotional hurdle.
“It’s not easy to fail in front of everyone and at the same time worry about dropping your kids off at school or going on a trip without them. I just want to do my job well, to be the pitcher my team needs,” said the Astros pitcher.
McCullers and his wife Kara have two young daughters. The club has stepped up security measures while the threatening messages are being investigated.
“If you fail, you fail on a very big stage, with a lot of attention, and there’s nowhere to hide,” McCullers said. “In the end, I just want to do my job. I just want to be a good pitcher for the Astros and I think I’ll get there.”
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